The Art of Training
by FanGirlFromTartarus
Summary: Set after City of Glass but still just before City of Fallen Angels. Jace is training Clary one afternoon when he has a sudden thought of how to both improve it, AND irritate both his siblings. Humor, eye rolls, scowls, and sarcasm will unfold. Multi-chaptered. No main pairing here, mostly just Lightwood Clary fun. Rated T because of teenage romance elements? I'm paranoid.


**A/N: Hello! Here we have another specimen of the fanus fictionus family. This is the longest fanfiction thing I've ever wrote. =O The story itself is 38 words from 4,000! (Pitiful, I know, but this is progress for me) Please read through all the way because there's something at the bottom I'd like anyone interested in this story to see!**

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"Don't worry, Clary, I've got you!" Jace called out bemusedly to Clary from her stance on the beams of the New York Institute's training room. She, for one, did not find this situation amusing in the least. Nor did she particularly want to keep practicing her "how-to-not-curl-into-a-ball-and-scream" technique (so far she wasn't succeeding). They'd been training since ten (it was now 2:30) and the last hour and half alone had been spent on her jumps. It was getting old real fast.

Clary looked down at Jace, barefoot in his white T-shirt and sweatpants - as compared to her own green tank top and sweatpants - and gulped at how far it was. But hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Clary sucked her breath in sharply as she jumped off, yet again putting her faith into a far-too-thin-in-her-opinion-cord that her life would not be cut short by her death-defying hurls into empty air. She fought the instinct to curl into a ball as she fell ungracefully. "Ooof!" She exclaimed, reaching the limitations of the cord's hold. It snapped back and bounced her for a few moments, leaving her about 10 feet off the ground feeling dizzy and nauseous.

Jace grinned at her. Clary had never wanted to kick him more. When she attempted to, Jace simply dodged her attacks with inhuman speed, laughing the whole time. "That's not fair!" she yelled, but Jace only laughed louder. Put-out, Clary stopped and tried to catch her breath. No matter how much she did this, it didn't seem to make any difference to her racing heart.

Jace came close to her, still chuckling, and unstrapped her from the flexible cord tied around her waist whose sole purpose was to keep Clary from falling to her death. Just as she was released from it and thought she going to fall to the floor, Jace caught her in his strong arms, smirking at her. Clary still didn't understand how she could want to smack him and kiss him at the same time.

She didn't get a chance to do either, however, as Jace gently dropped her onto her feet back onto solid ground again, though without taking his arms from around her. Clary rested her hands comfortably on his chest between them.

"You're insufferable," she huffed.

"I try. You're getting much better," he said as Clary scoffed, pulling away from him so he could witness the full effect of her eye roll.

"I have not. I still curl up like a caterpillar the instant I've jumped off. I haven't learned to do any flips or twirls yet, and I scream like a girl whenever the floor approaches me."

Jace shrugged lackadaisically, and Clary felt a pang at how even that simple an action could be made graceful by him. "Well, in your defense, you are a girl. Screaming like one could hardly be called shocking." Clary hit him on the arm, not like it made any difference though considering his hard, muscular build.

"Hey, I'm serious!" He laughed. "You aren't curling up nearly as much as you used to. That, Clary, is what we call progress."

"No, it's what we call being a pitiful excuse for a shadowhunter-in-training and it's deplorable. I should just send a letter to the Clave myself apologizing for taking up their resources and be sent back to the mundane world." Their 'resources' meaning her trainers - Maryse, Kadir, and Jace - and the use of the Institute's training room.

Jace lifted one perfect eyebrow. "Well, if that's the case, then I'd have to say good-bye to my girlfriend, which I don't feel particularly inclined to do . . . as I'm sure you understand," he flirted, leaning in closely to her. Clary's breath caught as she stared into his gold eyes.

"I'm sure I do," said Clary right before she leaned up into him and his lips touched hers and she forgot about the rest of the world. She closed her eyes and just breathed him in as their lips moved against each other's. She moved her arms around his neck to pull him closer as his hands gripped her waist. Much too soon, Jace pulled away from her, trademark smug grin in place.

"That being said, we do have to continue your training, however, lest we forget our duties and spend the evening making out and thus proving to everyone that I am incapable of training you and keeping my hands to myself, which _cannot _happen. I must preserve my reputation and dignity at all costs."

"Naturally," said Clary as she disentangled herself from him, taking a step back.

"However, I think we can take a quick ten minute break for you to re-energize a little before we start again," Jace said. Clary let a sigh of relief escape her lips.

He grinned at her. "Don't get too comfortable though, we'll be starting right back up when your break's over." Jace walked over to a blue bag on the floor by the wall and grabbed something out of it. He threw it at her and she caught it easily in her left hand.

"You're reflexes are getting better," Jace pointed out. It wasn't until she felt the cold condensation against her palms that she registered what it what.

"A water bottle?" Jace shrugged nonchalantly.

"I thought you might be thirsty." And she was. Clary gulped a couple mouthfuls and screwed the lid back on.

"I think," started Jace. "that we should work on other things in your training for the rest of the afternoon."

Clary raised her eyebrows. "You mean no more jumping to my death?"

"Presumed death," he corrected. "But yes." Clary threw her hands into the air and whooped with joy. Jace grinned at her. They both sat down on the floor together, Indian style, and relaxed.

A few minutes later, Clary readjusted her position and pushed a piece of hair out of her face behind her ear. She grabbed the bottle Jace had given her and drank the rest of it. She got up, returned the bottle back to its bag and turned back around to find Jace with a thoughtful expression on his face. He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "What is it?" Clary asked curiously.

"Hmm." Jace smiled. "Come with me," he said said, standing up. "I've got an idea." He started out of the room, pausing briefly in the doorway to allow her to reach him, and down the hallway.

"What kind of idea?" Clary rushed to keep up with his long strides. Jace gave no indication of noticing but slowed down suddenly, allowing her short legs to catch up to him.

"I've decided to enlist Isabelle and Alec in your training. It would do you some good training with different people, and keep us all busy, rather than moping around here like we've been doing lately."

Clary chose not to mention the fact that she was already training with different people, and decided to focus on what else he'd said. They all had been rather 'mopey', she supposed, but they also had good reason for it too. Having just lost their little brother and gone through a major battle with considerable losses a few weeks ago would put a damper on anyone's spirit, even if said battle had been won. She also decided not to say this though - Jace never liked _anyone_ acting depressed, including himself, unless he thought it was appropriate, which he apparently he didn't this time. God forbid if Jace were to take it upon himself to brighten things up, because resistance would be inevitable and blood would be shed. Which was exactly what was going to happen right now.

Something occurred to her as they strode through the hallways of the Institute. "Wait, _you've_ decided to enlist Isabelle and Alec? Shouldn't we ask them first?" They headed down a flight of stairs and she briefly wondered where they were going.

"What exactly do you think we're heading to do now?" He smiled mischievously. Clary didn't like that look in his eyes.

"Why do I get the feeling they aren't going to get a choice either way?" She asked suspiciously.

"That might have something to do with the fact that they _aren't_ going to have a choice either way. I want their help training you today and they will yield to my wishes, willingly or not," he said simply. Clary shook her head at him. They turned a corner.

"Just because you want me to have more variety in my training," Clary deadpanned. Jace nodded slowly and seriously. "Only the best for my shadowhunter." Her lips twitched up at his cute proclamation of possession. Nevertheless, she continued her argument, not believing for a second that his actions came from the noble reasons he proclaimed.

"Somehow, I don't believe that you're doing this only for the sake of my training." She passed him a doubtful look as they descended down another flight of stairs.

Jace grasped his chest in mock-betrayal. "You question my intentions? Am I not worthy of your trust?"

"No."

Jace gasped. "What has the world come to, when even the one you love cannot be without doubting your honesty and integrity?" He sighed dramatically. "Very well." They turned another corner and neared the library. "I have not made this decision purely for the reason of simply helping you to sharpen your skills and progress," he admitted. "I may also have wanted to do this for the chance to properly disturb and annoy my siblings as any good adopted brother should." They turned another corner and the library entrance came into sight. "There, are you happy now?" He questioned.

"Yes, actually. Why are we at the library?" Clary asked as Jace came to a stop in front of the large wooden doors.

"Alec mentioned to me earlier that he was going to be doing some research in the library," Jace explained. He opened the doors to the library and they stepped inside.

They found Alec curled up in one of the large overstuffed armchairs by the fireplace, in his usual attire of faded sweaters and worn jeans, his hair falling into his eyes as he bent over the book in his lap. Not an old textbook, Clary noted, like one of the thousands she saw everywhere around here, but a regular book. Apparently whatever research Alec had wanted to do earlier was done with.

He didn't look up when they entered.

"Alec!" Jace exclaimed. "Just the person we were looking for." Clary thought she saw Alec raise his eyes to take them in, but she wasn't sure as Jace was blocking most of her view. She moved to his side.

"Hey, Alec," repeated Jace. Alec pointedly ignored him. "Alec, I know you're not so engrossed in your book that you didn't hear me, I saw your eyebrows twitch." Said eyebrows twitched again, along with his mouth, which quivered in annoyance, but still Alec said nothing to him.

"Alec?"

"No, Jace," he said at last.

"What do you mean 'No'? I haven't even told you why we're here." Alec raised his head to look at him in annoyance.

"You don't have to. I know you, Jace. That tone of voice means you either want to do something you're not supposed to do and you want my help, or you've come to annoy me. I repeat, Jace, no."

Jace turned and grinned down at her, like a kid who'd just been given reason to do something particularly naughty that they'd been wanting to do for a while. Clary didn't know whether to feel uneasy or amused. He turned back to Alec.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"Is that your final answer?"

"Yes, Jace. Now leave me alone. I'm reading." Jace's lips turned u into a mischievous smile..

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Clary needs someone to help me train her. I thought you and Isabelle would be good for the job," Jace said seriously.

Alec looked at him, clearly not impressed, nor fooled. "I doubt that. More likely you wanted a chance to irritate Isabelle and me, and I'm not in the mood for it, Jace." He returned to his book, which was promptly grabbed out of his hand by Jace, who had just strode across the library.

"Jace! Give that back!" said Alec, leaping up from his seat and reaching for the book. Jace calmly moved out of his reach.

"No. You're coming with me, and then we're going to go get Isabelle, and you two are going to help me train Clary."

Alec stopped trying to grab the book to look at Jace incredulously. "And why is that?"

Jace smiled, happy to be getting the desired response. "Because if you don't come with me, I'll tell Magnus every embarrassing story about you that I know, and you know that I know quite a few."

Alec fixed him with a furious glare. "Fine."

Jace smiled triumphantly. "I knew you'd come around. Now let's go get Isabelle." He gave the book back to Alec, who placed it on the arm of the chair, scowling.

Jace turned back to the library doors and motioned for Alec to follow him. Clary looked warily at them both. While she would like to train with Isabelle and Alec, she didn't want to force them to do anything. Clearly, Jace didn't feel the same. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

As they exited the library, Jace paused and draped an arm over Alec's shoulders.

"Don't look so upset, Alec. It'll be fun, I promise." Alec looked sideways at him.

"Of course. Because nothing says 'fun' like being blackmailed into something, right?"

Jace rolled his eyes. "Don't be so dramatic. I mean, while it sucks, as far as being blackmailed goes, being forced to help your_ parabatai _train his girlfriend isn't all that bad." He clapped Alec on the back. "You'll be fine."

"Since we're collecting Lightwoods here - which, by the way, I'm really sorry about," Clary said, leaning across Jace to look at Alec apologetically. "I got about as much choice as you did."

He shrugged and put his hands in the pockets of his jeans. "I don't blame you. I'm used to Jace by now." He smiled kindly.

One side of Clary's mouth quirked up knowingly. She supposed that's the kind of person Jace was. His personality was one of those where you either loved him or hated him, and either way you still had to tolerate him and his irritating qualities.

". . . where do we go to get Isabelle?" she continued, looking at Jace. He shrugged, an indifferent look of unconcern gracing his features.

"I'm not actually sure where Isabelle is. Nor do I know where to go look for her. She could be anywhere in the Institute," said Jace.

They both turned to Alec.

"What?" he asked self consciously.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "You're her brother, shouldn't you know where she is?"

Alec's look of confusion vanished. He scoffed. "Just because I'm her brother, does not mean I am mind reader, Jace. Nor does Isabelle need a babysitter to always know where she is."

Jace rolled his eyes. "Obviously. I just thought that _maybe_ she'd mentioned where she was to you."

"She didn't," Alec deadpanned.

"Apparently."

Clary sighed, exasperated. "Let's just start at her bedroom and go from there." Honestly, it shouldn't be that hard to figure out. _Boys_, she thought.

Jace nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's go." He started walking, and Clary and Alec followed him.

They strode down the hallway in the direction of Isabelle's bedroom. With any luck, she'd be there.

"So," Clary started. "How are things going with you and Magnus, Alec?" She asked. Alec's cheeks turned a bit red; Clary figured he probably still wasn't used to being open with his relationship with the warlock.

"We're doing good. We've got a date tonight in a couple of hours." His mouth turned up at the corners. Clary smiled inwardly.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Jace, absentmindedly rubbing his brow. They turned a corner.

Alec shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. It's Magnus' turn to pick and he hasn't told me yet. I fully expect him not to reveal anything until we actually get to where we're going."

"Jace likes to do that to me a lot," Clary added.

Alec nodded. "It seems to be the norm for attractive, arrogant males these days."

Jace looked at Alec as they walked. "You think I'm attractive?" He questioned curiously.

"Is that really all you heard?"

Clary said to Alec, "I think it's in the water. It counteracts with something in their biology."

Alec chuckled and Jace shot them both an irked glance. "Could you two please not discuss me as if I'm not here?"

"Like you don't ever do it!" Clary taunted. "Besides, we weren't just talking about you. We were also talking about Magnus, and other attractive, arrogant males these days."

He assumed an injured air. "I am not arrogant. I'm fully aware of all my charms and strengths and that makes some people feel insecure. Don't blame _me_ for their shortcomings."

Clary shook her head. "And you wonder why some people don't like you."

"I just _told_ you why some people don't like me."

Alec put a hand on Jace's shoulder and leaned across him. "That's why him and Magnus have issues, you know. They're too much alike. "

Clary nodded reasonably, but Jace seemed to take offense to this. "We don't have issues. He just doesn't recognize my greatness and that causes tension. And we're nothing alike," He added.

Clary and Alec responded at the same time.

"Yes, you so are."

"Trust me, Jace. I'm dating him. I know."

Jace sighed out his nose irritably. "We're not. But it doesn't matter anyway, because we're here." And so they were.

They paused at Isabelle's door. Jace knocked loudly. They were relieved to hear a slightly muffled, "Coming!" from the other side.

The knob turned, and there stood Isabelle, her slim frame dressed in a red shirt that bared her shoulders, showing a white tank top underneath, and a pair of jeans, with her usual black high heeled boots.

Her dark eyes took them in. Because of the way Jace was angled, he took up most of the doorway. She leaned against the doorframe.

"What'd you need?"

Jace cleared his throat. "Clary and I were wondering if you wanted to help me with her training."

"You were the one who came up with this idea! Don't blame me!" Clary cried from behind him.

Isabelle looked Jace from head to toe. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

Jace smiled sweetly. "No."

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Fine, just give me a second to get changed. But if I'm going to do this, we're going to drag Alec into it, too."

Alec leaned halfway into the doorway from Jace's right. "Too late." He lamented.

"Oh," Isabelle grinned. "Alright then."

Alec moved out of the doorway and Isabelle faced Jace again.

She waved her hands at him. "Now shoo, all of you. I've got to get dressed to train." She took a step back and slammed the door shut.

Alec let out a long-suffering sigh. "I guess I'd better go change clothes, too." He padded down the hallway, several doors down. They heard the door click shut.

Clary looked at Jace. "You know, at times like this, I'm so glad I'm an only child," Instantly, she realized what she'd said and cringed internally. _Or not,_ she thought. She didn't want to think about Sebastian right now, even though he was dead.

Jace looked down at her, his eyes holding a surprising intensity. He seemed to read her mind, like he always did. "You _are_ an only child, you know." He was calm, his voice insistent. "Just because you're biologically related does _not_ mean that he's your brother," said Jace, firmly.

Clary raised her eyebrows. "Technically, it does."

Jace gave an aggravated sigh and ran one of his hands through his hair, before letting it fall back to his side. "_Technically_, Valentine was _your_ father with absolutely no relation to me, but that didn't go like it was supposed to, did it? Blood does not make family, Clary. Trust me."

Clary felt a jolt of surprise. Jace didn't like talking about Valentine in general, but he _hated_ speaking of him as his father.

"And _technically_," Jace continued. "you and Sebastian could have been siblings, yes, had you been raised together, or even if you'd had some sort of teenage reunion where, you know, he wasn't a diabolical villain." Jace shook his head. "But you weren't, and he's evil. It's as simple as that."

He stared firmly into her eyes. Clary felt amazed that he could make her go from regret to acceptance in under a minute.

Clary said, "I love you."

Jace's smile warmed her. "I love you, too."

They both leaned forward at the same time, their lips finding each other's. They stayed like that until they heard an irritated female voice break the spell..

"Really, guys? _Really?_" Clary could practically hear Isabelle's eye roll. She pulled away from Jace to find Isabelle standing in the doorway of her bedroom, now wearing typical shadowhunter training wear - in Isabelle's case, a black tank top with yoga pants. She was also giving them a look.

The door to Alec's bedroom opened, revealing Alec dressed similarly. He looked first at Clary and Jace's close proximity and then to his sister.

"They're making out again?" He asked knowingly.

Isabelle looked at her brother, the annoyed look on her face nearly comical, making Clary want to laugh but she didn't dare for fear of Isabelle's wrath. "Yeah."

Alec shook his head.

Jace took his arms from around Clary. "You're just jealous." He said imperiously.

Isabelle's eyes rolled back so far Clary worried they might not return. "No, we're disgusted. You don't see me and Alec making out with people all over the Institute or everywhere around our friends."

Jace scoffed. "That's because neither of your boyfriends can enter the Institute by themselves. Well, technically Simon can't enter at all-"

"Simon and I aren't dating!" Isabelle said. "Well, not really."

Alec raised his eyebrows at that. "You're dating Simon?" exclaimed Alec, sounding surprised. Clary couldn't blame him; it was probably the first he'd heard of it.

Isabelle glared at him in the way that only siblings did. "Didn't I just say I wasn't?"

Alec scowled.

Isabelle shrugged. "Right now we're kind of casually going out. Not," She directed her next glare at Jace. "dating."

Jace pinned Isabelle with a look. "You two are _definitely_ dating. Unless you're suggesting that you're the one dating Magnus and Alec and Simon became a couple," Jace said with an uplifted brow.

Clary and Isabelle both laughed at the prospect, and Alec's scowl deepened. Whether from the idea of his sister dating his boyfriend, or from the thought of himself dating Simon, Clary didn't know.

Isabelle started down the hallway, in the opposite direction of where they'd come, and called over her shoulder, "Well, are you guys coming or not?"

Alec began to follow her, and Jace and Clary started after them. Without looking down, Jace reached out and grabbed her hand, and Clary stared between them at their entwined fingers.

Jace looked at her out of the corner of his eye and smiled a one-sided smile. She smiled back.

"So," she started, realizing that Jace had never actually told her the plan for her training, "what _are_ we going to be doing? What do you have planned for my training?"

Jace grinned. Clary did not particularly like that grin. "You'll see," he said ominously.

Clary did not particularly like that answer, either.

_Oh, boy._

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**A/N: Next chapter pending! *loading symbol* So since I am an uncreative mongoose (don't ask me why I'm a mongoose, I don't know why), I've decided to let you guys tell me what you want them to do in training! Send in your ideas and suggestions for what you want to see in my first multi-chaptered story and I'll see what I can do! =D And BTW I'm totally not doing this because I have no idea what to do for their training. Noe. Not at all. I'm not that kind of story writer. *innocent whistle* Okay ,yeah, I totally am that kind of story writer but don't judge me or else I'll find you and make you pay. =O**

**Well, that escalated quickly.**

**Also, BTW, *load whisper* in order to tell me what you want in upcoming chapters you have to REVIEW. *hint hint***


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